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Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation
The Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program is designed to help you breathe easier and improve your overall health. A structured treatment program tailored to your specific needs by our team of pulmonary rehabilitation professionals can help you and your family meet the daily challenges of living with a chronic lung disorder and help return you to the things you enjoy most.
Who Can Benefit?
If you have chronic lung disease or are experiencing disabling symptoms, such as shortness of breath or coughing, pulmonary rehabilitation may help. Some common conditions we treat, even in their advanced stages, include:
Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
The Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program involves:
- Comprehensive evaluation and assessment - The process begins with your doctor's referral. A registered nurse, clinical exercise physiologist and respiratory therapist will assess you. Together, the team will develop a plan specifically designed to meet your individual needs. A report of your progress is sent to your referring doctor every month.
- Exercise training - Beginning with controlled and comfortable activity, you will be closely supervised by our team as you gradually improve your strength and endurance. Exercise includes walking on a treadmill, pedaling an exercise bike and/or doing upper body exercises. Your pulse, blood pressure and oxygen level will be closely monitored. Exercise will train your body's muscles to use the oxygen that you breathe more efficiently, which will help you to feel less short of breath and be able to accomplish more of what you want to do.
- Disease education - Pulmonary education covers a wide range of topics, including how the lungs work, how to breathe more effectively, strategies for caring for yourself, how to assess your symptoms, the importance of exercise, the effects of the medications that you are taking, how to use an inhaler or supplemental oxygen, and the importance of proper nutrition.
- Support group - The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Support Group meets every Monday from 10 - 10:30 am to share experiences, answer questions and offer potential solutions for common problems related to pulmonary disease. Participants can help one another cope with disease and the stresses that it inevitably brings.
Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Goals
The primary goals of the Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program are for to you to:
- Learn more about your disease, treatment options and coping strategies
- Improve your ability to perform daily activities
- Reduce and control your breathing difficulties and symptoms, such as shortness of breath, coughing and sputum production
- Alleviate panic reactions
- Manage your disease by improving your ability to self-assess and recognize early symptoms
- Understand your prescribed medication, its effects and potential medication problems
Results
As a participant in the Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, you can expect:
- Proven outcomes - After completing the program, individuals report significant improvements in their overall health, physical ability, emotional capacity, social function and quality of life.
- Breathe easier - Seventy-five percent of patients report a significant improvement in their ability to breathe during daily living activities.
- Increased ability - On average, participants in the program performed with 142 percent overall improvement, increasing activity time during each exercise session from 18.4 minutes to 44.6 minutes, while raising the intensity of their activity by 43 percent.
- Increased mobility - In a measured six-minute walk, patients walked 20 percent further following treatment, increasing distance by an average of 227 feet.
Maintenance Program
Maintaining the benefits and improvements achieved with basic pulmonary rehabilitation is important. Maintenance involves exercise with minimal supervision and an emphasis on increased independence. Exercise continues to be guided by our staff and the appropriate care is provided for each individual.
Referral to Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation
A doctor's referral is required to participate. If you think pulmonary rehabilitation could help you, talk to your pulmonologist or primary care doctor.
Coverage and Costs
Pulmonary rehabilitation is covered by most insurance carriers and by Medicare. However, you may be responsible for a co-payment.
Contact Us
7777 Hennessy Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 765-8004
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